The International Trade Commission (ITC) voted earlier this month to
affirm the petition regarding antidumping duties on engineered hardwood
flooring imports from China. It brings a year-long process closer to an
end.

"We are very pleased with the ITC's determination,bCrLf said Jeff Levin,
lead counsel for the Coalition for Hardwood Parity (CAHP). "This marks a
successful conclusion to a hard-fought battle and represents an
important win for American manufacturing and the fight to keep honest
paying manufacturing jobs in this country. This also represents a
substantial step towards redressing the harmful impact of unfair trading
in the U.S. market.bCrLf

The vote, according to the Alliance for Free Choice and Jobs in Flooring
(AFCJF), was a 4 to 2 vote for the petition. The petition was launched
nearly a year ago by the CAHP claiming dumping and countervailing of
multi-layered wood flooring (MLWF) imported from China.

Finalizing the affirmation will mean that the cash deposit for estimated
duty rates set by the Department of Commerce (DOC) last month will be
enforced. As FCW reported earlier, the DOC determined a separate rate of
3.31 percent for dumping (AD) and 1.5 percent for countervailing (CVD)
for 74 Chinese producers/exporters. These rates, however, are subject to
review and could change over the next several years under an annual
review process.

The three mandatory respondents for AD rates Zhejiang Layo, Zhejiang
Yuhua and Samling Group were given rates of 3.98 percent, zero and 2.63
percent respectively. The China wide rate for AD is 58.84 percent.

While the AFCJF was pleased with the low rates set in October, the
Alliance is disappointed by the ITC's decision to enforce them. "We knew
when we started that the system is designed to make it nearly
impossible for the ITC to deny a petition even in the face of
overwhelming evidence to the contrary,bCrLf said Jonathan Train, Alliance
president. "We see this as a failure of the system rather than any
validation of the petitioner's claim.bCrLf

Comments on the decision are expected to be released later this month. Appeals will be registered by Dec. 22.

"We eagerly await our chance to review the commentary and will decide
then if we wish to appeal the decision with the higher courts,bCrLf said
Train. "Those courts are less restricted by the artificial constraints
of the antidumping analysis and have a greater ability to rule on the
actual facts of the case. This opportunity to appeal should be
considered a very viable option for the respondents.bCrLf